Protective shoulder pad



April 7, 1970 E, less, JR, ETAL PROTECTIVE SHOULDER PAD Filed Oct. 4, 1968 United States Patent 3,504,377 PROTECTIVE SHOULDER PAD Ernest R. Biggs, Jr., 3759 Chevington Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221, and George D. Busenburg, 2678 Valley View Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43204 Filed Oct. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 765,064

Int. Cl. A41d 13/00 U.S. Cl. 2-2 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A protective shoulder pad particularly adapted to be Worn by a football player beneath the usual shoulder pads Worn in that game. The protective shoulder pad includes an arch-like rigid support having downwardly and outwardly sloping side sections disposed on opposite sides of a central section, the side sections partially defining a substantially 'U-shaped cross-sectional profile. The central section is in the nature of a corrugation raised out of the U-shaped profile and is defined by creases at the boundaries of the side and central sections. The corrugation or central section is spaced from the wearers shoulder when the pad is in use with the side sections contacting the chest and back of the user, thereby providing a cantilever pad structure to protect the wearers shoulder from receiving direct shock impact. Pads are preferably adhered to the inner surface of the side sections to further space the central section from the shoulder, enhancing the cantilever characteristics of the pad.

This invention relates to protective pads for injured areas of the human body and, more particularly, relates to a protective pad for the shoulder.

In certain sporting activities, and most particularly in the game of football, the shoulder of the human body is susceptible to stringent and rugged use. Most injuries to the shoulder during a football game seem to occur in the areas of the clavicle bone and the acromio-clavicular joint due to the continuous repetition of impact in those areas. Once injured, the clavicle bone and acromio-clavicular joint are particularly susceptible to further injury if not properly protected in a game such as football. Even in spite of the usual protective shoulder pads worn by participants in the playing of football, an injured shoulder remains particularly vulnerable to further injury because of the very nature of the game in that it is often subjected to violent impact.

The protective shoulder pad of this invention is designed to be Worn by a football player who has an injured clavicle bone or acromio-clavicular joint. It is particularly designed to be worn underneath the usual shoulder pads. The protective shoulder pad of this invention has the advantages of distributing the impact of any force directed toward the injured clavicle bone or acromio-clavicular joint to areas of the players body other than the clavicle bone and acromio-clavicular joint, and of thereby preventing the impact from being directly received by the clavicle bone and acromio-clavicular joint. By means of a novel cantilever arch type of structure the usual shoulder pads are kept from directly engaging the players shoulder and the shock or impact of any force from opposing players is transmitted to the chest and back area of the wearer, these body areas being better equipped for receiving and distributing the shock or impact forces without causing further injury to the body.

Thus, the protective shoulder pad of this invention is particularly adapted to be used by a football player that has been exposed to a shoulder injury but whose injury does not prevent further participtation in the game of football if the shoulder area is properly protected. That is, the protective shoulder pad of this invention is adapted 3,504,377 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 "ice to be Worn beneath the regular football shoulder pads provided for participants of that sport to increase the protection offered to an injured shoulder without substantially hindering the players mobility in the game.

The protective shoulder pad of this invention basically comprises a generally U-shaped, cantilever arch structure of relatively rigid material adapted to fit over the wearers shoulder so that its opposed side sections engage the wearers chest and back and its central arcuate section is disposed or spaced above, and out of direct contact with, the wearers shoulder. To effect the spacing of the central section of the pad above the shoulder, the pad is preferably provided with a central arch section in the nature of a corrugation established by folds at the edges of the central section where they meet the side sections. To enhance the cantilever action and to ensure non-engagement of the pad with the shoulder even upon receiving major impacts, padding on the inner surface of the opposed side sections is preferably provided. A horizontal strap encircling the wearers waist and connected to the U-shaped pads extremities maintains the pad properly positioned on the wearer during use.

Futher objectives and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view illustrating the protective shoulder pad of this invention as worn on the right shoulder;

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the protective shoulder pad illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective view of the protective shoulder pad; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

The protective shoulder pad of this invention, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, is comprised of a pad 10 With a retaining strap 11 attached to it on the front 12 and back 13 sides by rivets 14. The retaining strap 11 is of a length suflicient to cooperate with buckles 15 attached to a belt 16 adapted to be placed around a wearers waist. Lacings 17 are provided on opposed sides of the belt 16 so that the pad may be placed on either the right or left shoulder and the belt laced together at the front, as will be subsequently detailed further. The belt 16 and the retainer strap 11 may be fabricated of, for example, canvas webbing.

The pad 10 is comprised of an outer or ridgid support 18 having an arcuate center section 19 and depending,

outwardly flared side sections 20, the side sections partially defining a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile 9. The side sections 20 are rovided for overlying engagement with the chest 21 and back 22 of a wearer. The arcuate center section 19 is in the nature of a corrugation out of the general U-shaped cross-sectional profile or configuration 9 of the pad 10, the center section 19 being merged with the side sections 20 at corrugation or fold lines 23, 24. As is particularly illustrated in FIGURE 4, because the corrugation or arcuate center section 19 is raised up out of the generally U-shaped profile partially defined by the side sections 20, the pad 10 can be fixed on the wearer so that there is no direct contact of the pad with the shoulder 25. The rigid support 18 may be fabricated of resin impregnated Woven fiberglass cloth mats, such construction providing lightness of Weight as well as high impact strength to the overall pad 10 structure.

Fixed underneath the rigid support 18, and positioned in line with the disposition of the retainer strap 11 relative to the support 18, is a metal strip 31 provided to establish a suitable base for the rivets 14 used in securing the retainer strap to the rigid support on the rivets do not pull out of the pad 10. On the inner surface of the arcuate center section 19 of the pad there is adhered a thin pad 32 throughout the width of and extending past the edges of that center section. The thin pad 32 extends approximately to the corrugation lines 23, 24 molded in the rigid sup ort 18 where the center section is merged into the side sections 20 of the pad 10. The side sections 20 are each provided with'a thick pad 33 that is dimensioned to cover the entire inner surface of each side section and to extend past the side and tip edges of those side sections. Preferably the pads 33 are fabricated of sponge rubber; and designed to have an outer surface 33A which is of a frictional nature to provide resistance against the sliding of the pad 10 down upon the wearer when subjected to impact. The thickness of the side rubber pads 33 is preferably at least twice as thick as that of the center pad 32, which also is preferably fabricated of sponge rubber, positioned in the arcuate center section of the pad 10 structure. Because the center rubber pad 32 extends beyond the edges of the center section 19 and because the side rubber pads 33 extend beyond the side and tip edges of the side sections 20, the edges of the rigid support 18' are prevented from undesirable cutting or pinching engagement with the upper torso 21, 22 of the wearer.

The particular pad 10 structure described is in the nature of a cantilever arch, such cantilever action being established by the corrugation or arcuate center section 19 provided and is accentuated by the presence of the thick sponge rubber pads 33 on the inner sides of the rigid support 18. Such a cantilever arch structure establishes a distinct gap 36 above the clavicle bone and acromioclavicular joint of the wearers shoulder 25 when the pad 10 is in operative position, see FIGURE 4. Such a gap 36 above the shoulder 25 prevents direct transmittal of shock impact to the wearers shoulder area as is received in games such as football. The gap 36 is maintained at all times even when heavy blows are directed toward the arcuate center section 19 because of the cantilever-like structure of the rigid support 18 in combination with the friction pads 33 which prevent thin pad 32 from engaging the shoulder 25. Any shock impact received on the arcuate center section 19 of the pad is transmitted to the chest area and the back area of the upper torso through the thick sponge rubber pads 33 on the inner surfaces of the pads Side sections 20. Thus, such a pad, when worn beneath the usual football shoulder pads, can effectively prevent further injury to an already injured shoulder.

The protective shoulder pad of this invention can be utilized on either the right shoulder or left shoulder of a wearer. Although FIGURES 1 and 2 are front and rear views, respectively, of the pad as worn on the right shoulder, it will be apparent from those figures that because lacings 17 are provided at the front and back of the waistband 16, and because the back 13 of the pad 10 structure is essentially a mirror image of its front 12, the pad 10 may be easily put on and worn on either the right or left shoulder.

Having completely described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A protective shoulder pad comprising an arch structure of relatively rigid material having a center section and oppositely disposed side sections extending downwardly from said center section on either side thereof, said center section and side sections adapted to overlie a substantial portion of a shoulder region of a wearer and to engage chest and back regions of a wearer, respectively, said side sections of said shoulder pad defining the legs of an imaginary substantially U-shaped profile having a smoothly contoured intermediate section interconnecting said legs, said center section of said shoulder pad projecting above said intermediate section of said imaginary U- shaped profile and out of direct contact with said underlying shoulder region throughout the entirety of said center section for establishing a protective gap between said underlying shoulder region and the entirety of said center section, thereby distributing to said adjacent chest and back regions the impact of any force directed against said center section.

2. A protective shoulder pad as set forth in claim 1 further comprising side pads adhered to the inner surface of each side section for engaging the chest and back of the wearer to further space said central section from the wearers shoulder during use, thereby enhancing the cantilever characteristics of said pad.

3. A protective shoulder pad as set forth in claim 2 including a center pad adhered to the inner surface of said center section, said center pad being of a thickness less than the thickness of said side pads.

4. A protective shoulder pad as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pads are of foam rubber having an exposed surface with frictional properties, the friction pads extending beyond the side and tip edges of said side sections and the side edges of said corrugation center section.

5. A protective shoulder pad as set forth in claim 1 ineluding a retainer strap fixed to each of said side sections and extending from the tips thereof, a belt adapted to be worn around the wearers waist,

and first fastening means associated with the free ends of said retainer straps and said belt for connecting said straps with said belt. 6. A protective shoulder pad as set forth in claim 5 including second fastening means associated with said belt for fastening said belt around the waist of a wearer. 7. A protective shoulder pad as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rigid support is molded of a resin impregnated, woven glass fiber cloth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,297 8/1911 Sagerstrom 22 1,065,187 6/1913 Tate 22 1,136,307 4/1915 Bourdon 22 2,163,463 6/1939 Kennedy 22 2,487,423 11/1949 Cast 22 2,953,789 9/1960 Morgan et al 22 3,127,614 4/ 1964 Bennett 22 3,166,760 1/1965 Rasmussen 2-2 3,368,222 2/ 1968 Van Patten 22 XR MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner 

